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Hill sounds off on tax pledge, fiscal cliff

For Illinois Rep. Bobby Schilling, it means returning to the pizza shop he ran with his family before trying his hand at politics. He’s polishing up his résumé for some other opportunities but plans to help his 18-year-old son take over the business when he gets home.

Needless to say, making pizza is a far cry from the deal making, fundraising and travel that comes with being a member of Congress. But it was fun while it lasted.

“We did everything we could, and we realized pretty early on in the day the turnout was going to be tough for us,” he said. “But there’s also a lot of relief. On election night, my 14-year-old daughter tweeted out, ‘Yay, I got my dad back!’”

Others aren’t quite so ready to resume their pre-congressional lives. Illinois Rep. Robert Dold was running a pest control company his family still owns when he ran for office, and New York Rep. Nan Hayworth was a practicing ophthalmologist and medical director at a communications company before she entered politics.

Both said they’re focused on the “fiscal cliff” lawmakers will have to solve — or not — before their successors are sworn in in January. But after the thrill of the past two years, neither seemed ready to shut the door on politics.

Returning to Congress after the election, their disappointment was palpable.

“Life’s too short for regrets, so we’ve just got to take some time and make some assessments about what the future’s going to hold,” he added.

Hayworth, a favorite among the Republican leadership, made clear she has no intention of being a one-term wonder.

“I’ve got some media possibilities and there are a lot of folks who want to see me involved in terms of the future of the party,” she said. “I want to be an advocate for our principles [that] really say the federal government should have the right size … and should leave other matters to the states and individuals.”

This list is incomplete. Both of the freshmen members from New Hampshire (Bass, who had served before, and Guinta, a true freshman) lost. Ben Quayle lost in Arizona in a primary. Quico Canseco lost to a Democrat two weeks ago in Texas.

I don't know the number of 2010 GOP freshmen who lost, but this is only a partial list, and you should make it clear that it is.

I read that eleven GOP freshmen (mostly teaparty) lost their seats. Thanks, leftyarizona, for letting me know Ben Quayle lost too. That's just icing on the cake. The only thing these freshmen losers were able to make happen was the downgrade of our US credit rating. Shame on them.

DEADBEAT DAD JOE WALSH.....HERO OF THE TEA PARTY AND THE FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL.....(GOOD LORD)......WANTS TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR......WEREN'T TWO FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNORS.....UHM....SORT OF INFAMOUS.....AND....UHM.....KIND OF LIKE.... JAILBIRDS..... AFTER WINNING THE OFFICE........BUT.......YOU GO JOE.....MAYBE THIS WILL BE....STRIKE THREE.....

Yes, they went home, but with smiles on their faces. Why? Because they automatically receive pension and health benefits that they refused to grant to the citizens that elected them, and citizens who now get to pay for those benefits for the rest of the former reps' lives.

Others could have their sights set on higher offices. Rep. Joe Walsh, another tea party favorite who lost resoundingly to Democrat Tammy Duckworth, told the Daily Herald he wouldn’t rule out a run for governor of Illinois in 2014.

SERIOUSLY???? You can't get voted back to your Congressional seat and you want to run for gov??? YOU LEARNED NOTHING JOE WALSH!! And you will be rejected should you choose to run for gov.

Yes, they went home, but with smiles on their faces. Why? Because they automatically receive pension and health benefits that they refused to grant to the citizens that elected them, and citizens who now get to pay for those benefits for the rest of the former reps' lives.

Yeah, sadly. However, just ask them, they deserve it but the REST of America deserves no such thing!

They all seem to be tea party favorites that thought gravity and compromise did not pertain to them. As the reality of our economy becomes clearer, these firebrands will be chaistened by the reality that their ideology does not solve everyday problems. I look forward to Democrats solving problems and picking up more minority votes and putting the tea party in the dustbin of political fads....where they all belong anyway.

Funny thing how the narrative here at Politico after the historic Democratic shellacking in 2010 that saw 60 house seats (YES 60 of them) change from Democrat to Republican was that the Democrats would be back in two years to run again, yet here's politico calling the Republicans (All 7 of them..lol) down and out.

Don't worry your little heads libbies, most of these people will be back in two short years and without BO's election operation coattails to ride on most like Col. West will get their seats back from the Democratic "Frosh" that are keeping them warm for two short years.

Jerseygentlemen, You make the same mistake all of your liberal friends make. Digging ones heels in is fine when it is your philosophy being argued. The Dems are not compromising but since you support them that is fine. The only hope here is Obama has never been a supporter of the Dems in the House and hopefully he will bypass them and go straight to Republican leadership to work a deal. The Dems don't want to compromise as a stalemate gives them the issue they want for 2014.